A FINANCIAL consultant who was banned from the road for drink driving just weeks ago has been disqualified for a further three years for a similar offence.

David Batey, 44, of Heybridge Lane, Prestbury, denied drink driving, failing to stop after an accident, and failing to provide a breath sample when he appeared before the town's magistrates.

The case was found proved on all three counts and he was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £300 costs - just weeks after he was banned for 30 months and fined £600.

Simon Pover, prosecuting, said the defendant had gone to a Wilmslow Japanese restaurant where he had drunk Sake - rice wine - before heading home in his Rover car and drinking "like a fish".

On the way he decided to visit a friend's house but 'overshot' his turn. He reversed, hitting another man's car, which had been forced to stop behind.

The driver told the court he could smell alcohol on Batey's breath and called the police. He claimed the defendant left the scene in his car when he overheard the man on the phone.

Batey said he had drunk approximately one-and-a-half small jugs of Sake but denied being drunk. He said he became inebriated when he arrived home and drank some gin.

He said: "It is true that I am not used to that right hand turn but I certainly wasn't drunk - but when I got home I did drink like a fish."

Batey was later arrested after police called at his home and he refused to give a sample of breath saying he felt he was within his rights to refuse.

"I didn't really understand that you could legally be breathalysed in your own property," he added.

He defended the charge of failing to stop, saying: "I thought what would happen would be we would calm down and exchange insurance details the following day, or the police would come round."

Simon Pover, prosecuting, said that although the law states an accident must be reported within 24 hours, it should also be reported urgently. "I think we are all aware that normally, a person involved in an accident would report the incident to the other party or the police at the soonest opportunity."

Kieron Henry, defending, argued his client had 24 hours to report an accident and there was no dialogue between the two drivers and the other motorist had not asked him for any personal details.

Batey was fined £200 for failure to provide a specimen of breath, £200 for failing to stop after an accident for which he also received five penalty points.

And he was fined £600 for driving over the limit and ordered to pay £300 court costs.

His Community Rehabilitation Order was renewed and he was banned for three years with a one-year ban for failure to provide a specimen to run concurrently.